ICYMI: Scott Wagner Blames Climate Change On Warm Bodies

At a recent campaign event, Scott Wagner said, “I haven’t been in a science class in a long time, but the earth moves closer to the sun every year–you know the rotation of the earth,” Wagner said. “We’re moving closer to the sun…We have more people. You know, humans have warm bodies. So is heat coming off? Things are changing, but I think we are, as a society, doing the best we can.”

“Scott Wagner’s inability to understand or accept basic science is reflective of too much time spent in Harrisburg rubbing elbows with special interests,” said Pennsylvania Democratic Party Executive Director Sinceré Harris.

“A Republican state senator running for governor of Pennsylvania shared some unusual views this week about what’s causing climate change. Scott Wagner told a Harrisburg audience on Tuesday that the body heat from the planet’s growing population might be responsible for rising temperatures.” [Huffington Post, 3/30/17]

“Earlier this week, state Sen. Scott Wagner, who intends to run for governor, told a room of natural gas drilling advocates that climate change — global warming — is caused by body heat and Earth’s apparent slow death spiral into the sun. Joe Rao, an associate and lecturer at the Hayden Planetarium in New York, called Wagner’s comment ‘total, utter nonsense,’ adding that if he had a copy of Wagner’s speech, it would best be shredded for cat litter. ‘This is just a statement of stupidity,’ Rao said.” [York Daily Record, 3/30/17]

“Republican 2018 guv candidate Scott Wagner keynoted an event for natural gas advocates in Harrisburg on Tuesday, offering an … ah … novel explanation for the scientific phenomenon known as climate change: ‘I haven’t been in a science class in a long time, but the earth moves closer to the sun every year-you know the rotation of the earth,’ Wagner, a York County state senator, said, according to StateImpact Pennsylvania. “We’re moving closer to the sun.” He added, according to StateImpact’s Katie Meyer, that, ‘We have more people. You know, humans have warm bodies. So is heat coming off? Things are changing, but I think we are, as a society, doing the best we can.’” [Pennlive, 3/29/17]